USA TODAY 10Best
Cook Museum of Natural Science named Best New Museum
Best New Museum (2021)
Each year brings a slew of new collections (or new facilities for old collections) for museum lovers. These museums, ranging from avant-garde art galleries to colorful children’s museums, represent the best openings of the past two years since the beginning of 2019.
The top 10 winners in the category Best New Museum are as follows:
- Planet Word - Washington, DC
- National Museum of African American Music - Nashville
- Poster House - New York
- National Museum of the United States Army - Fort Belvoir, Virginia
- American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog - New York
- Harriet Tubman Museum - Cape May, New Jersey
- Mascot Hall of Fame - Whiting, Indiana
- Oklahoma Contemporary - Oklahoma City
- U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum - Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Cook Museum of Natural Science - Decatur, Alabama
Photo courtesy of DuHon Photography / Planet Word
No. 10:
This new museum at the historic Franklin School in Washington, DC celebrates language in all its forms. The world’s first voice-activated museum features interactive galleries that tell the story of how we learn to speak our first language, where words come from and the diversity of the world’s languages.
Photo courtesy of National Museum of African American Music
No. 9:
The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) is the only museum in the nation dedicated to the music genres created and influenced by African Americans. Musical heroes of the past and present come to life through a collection of stage costumes, instruments, sheet music, recording equipment and photographs from many genres.
Photo courtesy of Michael Moran/OTTO (designed by LTL Architects)
No. 8:
This new museum in New York is also the first museum in the nation dedicated entirely to posters, from their first appearance in the 1800s to their many uses today. The collection explores how these works of art are used to communicate, persuade and sell through the lenses of design and societal norms.
Photo courtesy of Duane Lempke / National Museum of the United States Army
No. 7:
The National Museum of the United States Army tells the story of more than 245 years of the Army and our nation’s soldiers from the Army, Army Reserve and the Army National Guard. Admission is free, and exhibits cover topics like the Cold War, World Wars I and II, soldiers’ stories and the founding of America. The museum is temporarily closed.
Photo courtesy of David Woo / American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog
No. 6:
New York’s AKC Museum of the Dog celebrates the role of man’s best friend in society at its new home on Park Avenue. The collection features some 1,700 pieces, displayed in rotating exhibits, as well as a 4,000-volume library. Interactive experiences explore dogs at work help match visitors with their ideal breed.
Photo courtesy of Library of Congress
No. 5:
The Harriet Tubman Museum in Cape May was introduced in September 2020 with a ribbon cutting ceremony with the New Jersey Governor. Tubman lived in Cape May in the early 1850s, and the museum sits on a block that was the hub of anti-slavery activities in the city.
Photo courtesy of Mascot Hall of Fame
No. 4:
2019 saw the opening of the Mascot Hall of Fame in Indiana, a new museum “celebrating the unsung heroes of sports and communities.” This kid-friendly space includes a t-shirt shooter, sports court and interactive playground area, hands-on Science of Silliness Lab and a Build-A-Mascot Workshop from Build-A-Bear.
Photo courtesy of Oklahoma Contemporary
No. 3:
The Oklahoma Contemporary re-launched in its new downtown OKC facilities in March, 2020. The new building, designed by Rand Elliott Architects to reflect the light and the sky, gives even more space for free exhibitions and programming.
Photo courtesy of Nic Lehoux / U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum
No. 2:
This new museum honors the athletes and ideals of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The 60,000-square-foot facility comprises 12 interactive galleries with some of the most accessible museum experiences in the world. Team USA athletes consulted on the project to ensure an authentic experience.
Photo courtesy of Cook Museum of Natural Science
No. 1:
The Cook Museum opened in 2019 as a state-of-the-art natural science museum in downtown Decatur. Inside, visitors will find a 15,000-gallon saltwater aquarium, a recreated Alabama cave, an indoor forest with its own treetop cabin and interactive exhibits focused on topics like the Arctic and desert environments, waterways, insects, space and geology.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning museums!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Corinne Whiting
Corinne hails from the other Washington, where she... Read More
Corinne hails from the other Washington, where she caught the travel bug early on. Corinne studied abroad in Strasbourg, France (undergrad) and in Edinburgh, Scotland (graduate school). She's backpacked around Australia, taught English in Argentina and explored (so far!) countries from Cambodia and Egypt to Turkey and China. Corinne served as associate editor at Where magazine for five years; as a freelancer, she now writes for publications like National Geographic Traveler and Amtrak's OnTrak. Here in the lovely Northwest, she's attempting to debunk the rain myths, up her coffee and live music quotient and find her Zen near/on the water.
Corinne Whiting
Corinne hails from the other Washington, where she caught the travel bug early on. Corinne studied abroad in Strasbourg, France (undergrad) and in Edinburgh, Scotland (graduate school). She's backpacked around Australia, taught English in Argentina and explored (so far!) countries from Cambodia and Egypt to Turkey and China. Corinne served as associate editor at Where magazine for five years; as a freelancer, she now writes for publications like National Geographic Traveler and Amtrak's OnTrak. Here in the lovely Northwest, she's attempting to debunk the rain myths, up her coffee and live music quotient and find her Zen near/on the water.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer... Read More
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Eric Grossman
Eric Grossman is a travel and food/drink writer who has visited more than 60 countries. Always up for an adventure, Eric is constantly searching for new and inspiring experiences, with a keen interest in luxury travel and urban exploration. Memorable experiences have run the gamut from discussing the future of food with Ferran Adrià to sharing a stage with Coldplay.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel... Read More
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Gerrish Lopez
Gerrish Lopez is a food and travel writer/photographer whose adventures have taken her from tiny islands (Isle of Man, Lanai) to mega-cities like Mexico City and Hong Kong. A former vegetarian, Gerrish has grown to appreciate carnivorous fare through sampling the best meats in the world, including smoked pork jowl in Thailand and whole hog barbecue in South Carolina. Gerrish is always looking for products and services to make her travels easier and more efficient.
Marla Cimini
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music... Read More
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music and culinary adventures (and combining those whenever possible)! As an avid globetrotter, she encourages respecting and learning about other cultures while traveling. She has visited Hawaii multiple times, and has explored destinations worldwide, including the Mediterranean region, South America, Asia and more. Marla is a contributor to Fodor’s Hawaii guidebooks (Oahu and Kauai 2020) and her articles have appeared in a number of international publications. She calls New Jersey (Philadelphia area) home. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter and read her travel tips and adventures on her website.
Marla Cimini
Marla is a writer with a passion for travel, music and culinary adventures (and combining those whenever possible)! As an avid globetrotter, she encourages respecting and learning about other cultures while traveling. She has visited Hawaii multiple times, and has explored destinations worldwide, including the Mediterranean region, South America, Asia and more. Marla is a contributor to Fodor’s Hawaii guidebooks (Oahu and Kauai 2020) and her articles have appeared in a number of international publications. She calls New Jersey (Philadelphia area) home. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter and read her travel tips and adventures on her website.
